The beginning of May has heralded the
dawn of summer at the box office for nearly a decade, which means that
by now, thanks to the rise of the movie trailers, we are all overly
familiar with the blockbusters of the season. Marvel’s The Avengers kicks things off for the superheroes, with The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises to come.

'The Dark Knight' dominated the year in mainstream movies

Movies as cultural events are rapidly becoming relics of the past. It's rare when a new movie can even come close to generating the enthusiasm that greeted old-school epics like 'Gone with the Wind' or relatively new-school blockbusters like 'Jaws' and 'Star Wars.' Home viewing has forever changed the way we watch movies. The essential big-screen theatrical experience has been compromised for the comforts of the couch or the portability of an iPod.